Into The Sea

Shiling City was arguably the most densely populated town of cultivators in the human realm.

Therefore, Shen Yi never imagined she would encounter any danger within the city, until after she bought her medicinal herbs and was walking in an alley when suddenly, everything went dark. A tight grip on her neck, and she passed out.

When she woke, she was surrounded by darkness, with faint candlelight casting long shadows that illuminated the hem of a robe worn by someone standing not far away.

“Who are you?” she exclaimed in shock, trying to struggle, only to find herself bound by a restraining spell, her hands and feet tied.

From the darkness came the sound of hushed whispers, as if someone was arguing. Finally, a reluctant voice said, “Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you.”

Shen Yi paused. “Wen Shiyu?”

Everyone fell silent. Then, another voice asked in surprise, “How did she know?”

Shen Yi’s eyes widened. “Qi Yueyao?”

“…”

Lan Wu sighed, a soft glow emanating from her palm as she gradually illuminated the entire dark room. “Miss Shen’s ears really are something special.”

“It’s you!” Shen Yi exclaimed, stunned. She scanned the four figures in front of her, struggling against her bonds in a mix of shock and anger. “What do you want? I knew it! You may seem righteous, but you’re just as treacherous as a demon, and you even… even lured two cultivators to join your nefarious schemes!”

Ji Lingyue chuckled softly from behind. “Treacherous—she’s not wrong about that.”

Lan Wu shot her a glance, noticing the amusement in her eyes and the slight smile on her lips. Thinking it might help ease her temper, Lan Wu decided not to argue and instead retorted, “Chu Jiao has harmed her fellow disciples. If we’re talking about nefarious schemes, you’re close to her. How are you any different?”

“What do you mean, harmed her fellow disciples? Don’t talk nonsense!”

Lan Wu thought for a moment, then turned her head. “Ah Yue, do you still have the flute you picked up in Wangliang City?”

Ji Lingyue glanced at her and silently pulled out the broken jade flute. Lan Wu pointed at it, asking Shen Yi, “We found this at the scene where Chu Jiao harmed her fellow disciples. Does it look familiar?”

Shen Yi paused, examining it closely. “Even if this flute is the same as Chu Jiao’s, what does that prove?”

Lan Wu’s eyes lit up with surprise. “So it is the same as Chu Jiao’s flute,” she said, a smile curving her lips. “Thank you for confirming that. I wasn’t entirely sure before.”

“You!” Shen Yi, realizing her mistake, felt a surge of anger. She suddenly found the strength to lunge off the ground, slamming into Lan Wu and sending her crashing to the floor. “You despicable demon!”

With a thud, a dark mist erupted from a corner, whisking Shen Yi away. A figure instantly appeared beside Lan Wu. The woman, pale-faced, clutched her waist as she was pulled up, leaning weakly against Ji Lingyue. “Ouch…”

“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” Ji Lingyue asked anxiously, her long lashes fluttering nervously. “Let me see.”

Lan Wu frowned slightly, her eyes red at the corners as she pitifully said. “My waist… I think it’s about to break.”

Ji Lingyue’s lips tightened. She released a cloud of demonic energy that enveloped Lan Wu’s waist. “I’ll go find Yun’er.”

“…” Lan Wu’s body stiffened. She blinked and slowly straightened her waist. “Actually, it’s not that bad.”

Ji Lingyue paused, staring at her suspiciously. “Are you… faking it again?”

“How did you get this?!”

A surprised voice suddenly interrupted. Everyone turned to see Shen Yi holding a jade token. Lan Wu recognized it as the one she had gotten from Yao Zhu and instinctively reached for her chest. “Hey… you stole that from me!”

“This was never yours!” Shen Yi argued. “This belongs to Chu Yan! It even has ‘Yan’ engraved on it!”

Lan Wu was taken aback and asked, “Who is Chu Yan?”

Qi Yueyao pondered, “That name sounds familiar.”

Wen Shiyu sighed helplessly. “I know. Chu Yan is Chu Jiao’s mother. The Chu family has three branches, and she is the head of one of them. But…”

“But what?”

Wen Shiyu hesitated. “Although they’re mother and daughter, Chu Jiao isn’t Chu Yan’s biological child. Chu Yan found her as a child and adopted her, raising her as her own and giving her the Chu family name.”

“How do you know that!?” Shen Yi asked in surprise. “This is Chu Jiao’s secret. No outsider should know.”

Qi Yueyao folded her arms and laughed. “You don’t know this, but Wen Shiyu of the Jintang Palace is well-connected and resourceful. There’s no friend she can’t make and no secret she can’t uncover.”

Wen Shiyu smiled wryly and continued, “I also know that Chu Jiao…” She paused, seemingly hesitant to say, “seems to have had some… complicated feelings toward her mother…”

“Shut up!” Shen Yi interrupted, her face turning red. “Don’t you dare spread lies! Don’t you dare slander Chu Jiao!”

Ji Lingyue didn’t understand. “What kind of feelings? Gratitude? Or something else?”

Lan Wu glanced at the agitated Shen Yi, “Judging by how defensive she is, it’s definitely not gratitude.” She turned to Wen Shiyu and asked, “Why didn’t you tell us about this before?”

“This is a private matter. Unless absolutely necessary, , it’s not right to reveal such things. Besides, Chu Jiao married Qing Zibai five years ago. I thought she had already let go of those feelings.”

Ji Lingyue was even more confused. “What feelings? What are you all talking about?”

Qi Yueyao laughed triumphantly. “I’m smarter than you this time! Although Chu Jiao was raised by Chu Yan, she had never had any real affection for her and always wanted to leave the Chu family. She married Qing Zibai to escape the family. That’s what you mean, right?”

Wen Shiyu was silent for a moment, then said with genuine admiration, “Senior Sister, the fact that you managed to get the answer completely wrong is a talent in itself.”

Qi Yueyao was stunned. “Huh? That’s not it?”

Ji Lingyue pursed her lips and silently looked at Lan Wu, who was stroking her chin in thought. When their eyes met, Lan Wu had a sudden inspiration. She smiled and leaned in close. “Actually, the answer is quite simple.”

She cupped Ji Lingyue’s confused face and planted a kiss on her lips.

“That’s the answer.”

Ji Lingyue muttered, “What does kissing me have to do with the answer?”

Lan Wu’s eyes curved into a smile. “Don’t you understand? Chu Jiao’s feelings for her mother are the same as my feelings for you.”

Ji Lingyue was stunned, frowning at her. “What feelings do you have for me?” she huffed. “The kind of feelings that involve teasing me and making me cry?”

Lan Wu recalled the earlier scene where Ji Lingyue had been so angry she cried and bit her, and couldn’t help but grin. “Aren’t you even a little surprised by Chu Jiao’s feelings?”

“What’s there to be surprised about?” Ji Lingyue said coldly. “It’s not as shocking as finding out that the person you like is a fish.”

Lan Wu chuckled and slid her arm around Ji Lingyue’s waist. “Speaking of the jade token… there’s a problem.” She turned, her gaze sweeping over Shen Yi, Qi Yueyao, and Wen Shiyu. “Chu Yan self-detonated her spiritual core. She’s dead.”

The room fell into complete silence. After a moment, Shen Yi, who had been kneeling on the ground, murmured with a pale face, “Dead… dead?”

“Dead?” Wen Shiyu asked, surprised. “Does Chu Jiao know?”

“Probably not. This just happened.”

After speaking, Lan Wu knelt in front of Shen Yi and asked seriously, “You said that Chu Jiao is a good person. Do you truly believe that, or are you saying that because she’s your friend?”

Shen Yi looked up, her eyes red. “She is a good person.”

“Alright,” Lan Wu nodded. “Then do you know what she has done for the Chu family?”

Seeing Shen Yi bite her lip, Lan Wu softened her voice. “Let me rephrase that. If this good person was forced by her mother to do something bad, would she do it?”

After a long silence, Shen Yi finally said, “She would…”

She closed her eyes, trembling as she recalled the words Chu Jiao had once spoken to her, and the bright smile on her face as she said them. A suffocating feeling washed over her. “She once told me that her life belongs to Chu Yan. Without Chu Yan, she wouldn’t be who she is today. For Chu Yan, she would give everything.”